Leliana of the north
by princesim
Summary: The story of Thranduíl's only daughter.


My name is Uthred, son of Osred. I have been living in the halls of king Thranduil since I was still a young child.  
I first came to this forest at the time my father traveled through the old forest road that lead through the great Greenwood.  
Filled with wonder and curiousity I wandered off the path exploring the forest until I fell into a deep slumber among the leaves.  
For a day and night I wandered through the peaceful forest, frightened and alone.  
When the morning came, I could see a tall elf passing through the forest. It soon became clear to me that this elven man was very powerful, because the path he followed was glowing with light, still I decided to follow him. I came closer and closer, uncertain who it was I was following, until he stopped.  
I was shivering in fear as the tall elven man turned around to face me.

"Come out from the shadows, young child.", the man spoke with a fierce tongue.  
"I am lost, good sir."  
"Follow me then."

From that day forward Thranduil took me in his household. I grew in favor of the elves, learning their ways and mastered their knowledge.  
Although I hadn't seen the king since the time he took me to his palace, I know he would one day acknowledge me for my skill and talent.  
And that day came. I was woken early in the morning by an elven guard.  
"Young Uthred, the lord demands your presence at his throne."  
I followed the guard and kneeled before the mighty elven king Thranduil.

"Leave us, all of you.", Thranduil ordered the guards.

"You've grown skilled and resourceful, Uthred."  
"Even more so, you might help me in a matter that occupies my mind for a long time now."

"Thank you sire, I'm at your service."

"Your loyalty is praiseworthy."

"Thank you, my lord."

Thranduil stood up from his throne and circled around me. "My son, Legolas Greenleaf is not my only child. He was born a twin."  
"I have a daughter named Leliana, the twin sister of Legolas."

"Many years ago during a time of great struggle, she rebelled against my reign, along with those who followed her. She has since then left the woodlands."  
"She disapproved of my council, my wisdom and my rule, urging me to take back the lands to the north."  
"She has her mother's bearing, courageous and just. "

"Where was she last seen ?"

"Gundabad. The northernmost stronghold on the Misty Mountains, a place where only death awaits her."  
"It is the passage to the lands of the ancient kingdom of Angmar. She knows her mother died there, and her mind is set on finding anything of her remains."  
King Thranduil's lowered his head, his face filled with anger and grief.

"My lord, what can I do to help her ?"

The king raised his head, his dark expression turning into a smile of relief.  
"You my loyal son, you, I will send to find her."

Armed with the finest of weaponry, armor, clothing and other gifts, I had left the gates of Thranduil's domain.  
The road ahead was long and treacherous. The elves who sailed with me were the last friendly faces I've seen, they left me on the northern border of the forest.  
To my left were the Misty Mountains, to my right the clouded peaks of the Grey Mountains.  
Endlessly I climbed, through stormy weather and cold northern winds, until I saw the fortress of Gundabad, black as the evil that build it.

For three years I have searched the northern wastes. I've discovered nothing remains here other than the remnands of long forgotten battles.  
I've seen the everlasting winter, lived through days without nights and nights without days, with only the bright starlight under the moon to comfort me.

Upon my furthest travels in the frozen north, I came upon a high stone peak glowing from sunlight, rising up out of the ice. The winds were strong and unbearably cold.  
From the shadow of the peak I could see shades of dark colours moving, lining up as if they were in a battle formation. They turned into dark spirits and they came closer towards me. My heart sank, realising the danger I was in. I turned around to run, but I was already surrounded by these strange magical spirits.  
However, these shades near me were not dark and evil, they were white as snow. They were elven, wielding long spears and tall shields, bravely charging upon the darkness in front of them.  
As their horses charged right through me I understood, this is the never-ending battle which has happened long ago during the First age. I had read about it in the old tomes in Thranduíl's halls.  
I rushed south to the hills, watching the battle from afar, until the elfish army scattered. A powerful burning wraith entered the battlefield, causing the elves to flee from the terror of the beast.  
Everything faded away shortly after the battle had ended.

The winter spectacle I witnessed had been enough, it was time to travel back.  
There was not a single trace of Thranduil's daughter. I had no choice but to return home.  
I grieved over the fate of her and her mother. Discouraged and defeated I wandered the wastes back to the high peaks of the Iron Mountains.

One night I woke up from a bright light appearing before me. I sat up in my bedroll, clearing my eyes.  
A reflection of woman stood in front of me, colored in the light of the moon.  
Her golden locks of hair were dancing in the starlight, she was fair and beautiful.  
I couldn't speak, nor utter any sound, I was under her spell.

She smiled and spoke. "I am Leliana, daughter to Mara and Thranduil. The one you seek."  
Her words echo-ed in my mind, dreaming whilst being wide awake.  
"My dear mother is with me. Come forth and find us, brave man."  
With those words her image disappeared into the night, but I was not alone.

Suddenly I could hear a horseman riding towards me.  
He was cloaked, dressed in dark cloth and riding on a tall armored horse.  
My hands were trembling as I took my spear and fought the dark horseman, but he was too strong.  
I thought it was the end of me, I was no match for this bleak and terrible warrior.

As I lay defeated on the ground, I felt courage rising in me.  
I placed my spear on the ground and climbed back on my feet.  
The dark horseman charged upon me, wielding his longsword, ready to pierce it right through me.  
I spoke against the shadow knight in words of elventongue, although the words were not my own.

"Your sword will not harm me, powerless creature."  
"Go back to your master and wither away in darkness."

The dark horseman let out a loud screetch and fled away into the night.

Relieved and exhausted I crawled back to my camp, treated my wounds and fell asleep.

At first light of the morning, I looked upon a watchtower on the south horizon.  
The buildings surrounding the tower were left in ruins, but the tower itself still stood even through all those years.  
Whoever build it made it to protect the people of these lands, because it did not look anything like the foul buildings of the evil lands.

When I entered the tower, I saw a statue of an elf woman with a bannered spear in her hand, standing upside down in the ground.  
The walls were painted and decorated with markings, although the stone has detoriated over time.  
The rock painting showed elves with pure white hair battling against black soldiers, the vision I saw in the north.

In the middle of the tower were stairs, it lead me below the tower, deep in to the earth.  
Endlessly I climbed down the stairs until I slipped on the wet stone and fell into the the depths of darkness.  
I fell deep in an underground lake where I had reached the bottom of these cellars, or so I thought.

A light came towards me in the water. Familiar candlelight. It was a white boat made from elven craftsmanship.  
The man in the boat pulled me out of the water, smiling as he touched my face and cloaked me in his blanket.  
His eyes were purple, his hair white as snow and his skin dark grey.  
This meant he is a night elf of the underworld, who haven't been seen on the surface for thousands of years.

He brought light upon his candle, revealing the cavern I was in. It was enormous.  
Far above me I could see the hole above with the stairs from which I fell.

We sailed through an underground river until we reached what looked like a city with many lights shining in the darkness.  
He spoke to me in some form of elvish, but I could not understand it.  
At a small harbor, the boatsman left me in the hands of the guards, who took me through the city.  
Not all of the night elves were as friendly-looking as the one who saved me. Many of them bore deep scars and carried all sorts of weaponry.  
A carriage of injured soldiers passed by me on the path through the city. It is clear there is little peace here under the earth's surface.  
The guards left me at the steps of a building that was cut from out of a mountain, similar to the great halls of the dwarves.  
It was a palace, beautifully decorated with rock markings.

I kneeled before a man and a woman who sat behind a veil. I was unable to see their faces.  
Tired and afraid I began to speak to them. "I am Uthred, I came from the above the surface. "

"Welcome, Uthred, to the city of Othorond, domain of the night and ice elves.", the woman spoke.  
"There were many of us once," the man continued. "We lived in these lands long before the evil spread."  
"The shadow masters drove us to take refuge in to the caves of the earth."  
"Tell me, what do you seek with us ?"

"Thranduíl, king of the Greenwood has sent me. "  
"His daughter, Leliana, is lost and I have been send to find her. "  
"Perhaps you could aid me in my search for her."

"Then I can comfort you with the truth, Leliana has been here with us, long ago. "  
"She took the south-western cavern roads beyond our borders along with her company, there was great courage in her eyes."  
"Althrough there is no coming back from those caves, I am afraid. "

"Where do those roads lead ?"

"She is headed deep under the Iron Mountains, to the prison city of Angmar and the ancient fortress of Utumno."  
"It is the realm of the shadow, the Witch King rules under the mountain. He commands an army of orcs, trolls and fallen men who serve him."  
"The caves along the road are now the breeding places of spiders and earthworms, causing death and terror among our ranks and people."

"I do not fear the dark forces, wherever my path may lead, finding the king's daughter will be my destiny."  
"If you would give me your blessing, I shall depart."

"Foolish human, this will be your death. ", the elven man spoke discontent.  
"No, my love. If he holds true to his destiny he will succeed. Uthréd bears great strength with him."  
"If you manage to find her, the elves of the woodlands owe you a great debt of gratitude. You have my blessing."

"Thank you madam, I will find her."

"Wait.", the woman came from behind the veil. Her white dress glowed in the darkness, brightening the entire room.  
"Here is the light of Isilmë, a gift from us. May it help you find your path in the dark halls under the earth."  
"I will call for Fuín, our most talented scout. He will lead you to the edge of our borders."

The man came forward, "Carry my spear in to the depths, may it pierce many of the filthy creatures that rot down there."  
"You have our blessing."

I bowed deeply before the ice-elven king and queen and left their court.

Fuín was waiting for me at the southern gate, leaving through the gate as soon as he saw me.  
I followed him deep in the caves, witnessing him battling the cave spiders with ease, or rather ripping them apart with his knives.  
Without a word, we found a close friendship in the mastery of swordfighting, which I only realised when I looked behind to see the trail of dead orcs we left.  
After a steep descent we came upon a wide cavern river and between the fog we finally saw the metal gates of Angmar.  
Fuín's eyes turned to fear as we crossed the river.  
I placed my hand on his shoulders, telling him to turn back. He shook his head and pointed his sword to the gates.  
Suddenly, a loud horn blew and the gates of the city opened, followed by battalions of orc soldiers passing through the gate.  
Quickly Fuín climbed on a ledge above us, reaching out his hand for me to follow him.  
Hidden in the dark we watched upon the orc legion that marched out of the city. We saw many battle trolls and giantic ogres carrying battering rams and catapults. Every battalion was lead by a tall knight with black metal armor, wielding heavy hammers and spears. These are the men of the ancient kingdom of Arnor turned into servants by Sauron the deceiver. The night elves from Othorond called them death knights.  
Finally, the Witch King, seated upon a carriage pulled by black spider. As he passed us he let out a terrifying screech that echo-ed through the caves.

After we climbed the city's walls, we slew every creature we found, orc, troll and goblin. The city was empty for us to take.  
The lower levels were a labyrinth of halls and corridors. We moved through all of them unseen but one. As Fuín lead the way through the last corridor he suddenly stood face to face with a death knight. His body was thrown against the wall by the weight of the knight's hammer. My fate was similar if I hadn't killed it first. His armor fell apart as it lay buried in the ice-elf king's spear.  
I turned my attention to Fuín, who lay defeated against the wall. He had no pulse nor breath, he was fallen.

For many days I dwelled in the caverns of Angmar, it was a maze of prisons, traps and death.  
A long hallway lit up as a light shone through it revealing a sillouette of a woman in the far distance.  
When I followed her I came upon the great hall, the witch king's throneroom.

There she was, I couldn't believe my eyes.  
Her body was laid upon a stone pillar as if she was asleep, she looked as fair and beautiful as my vision in the night.  
Behind her stood a hooded person, wearing a purple dress covered with elven battle armor. I was certain, that was Mara, her mother.  
She had long grey hair that almost reached the cold stone floor. She guarded her child with her life with her sword that was as long as a spear.  
When I entered the room her thoughts entered my mind.  
I saw her lifetime of battle before me, the defeat of evil by her hands, but as valorous as looked it still saddened me.  
I sat on my knees before her and bowed, holding Thranduíl's letter my hands.  
She wept as she read every word, crying against the stone pillar.  
I came closer and saw that Leliana's eyes were closed, but she was alive and breathing. She was under a magic spell.

"Leliana.", Mara spoke.  
Right at that moment, Leliana woke.  
"Your father has called for us, we will come home."

With bright eyes she gazed at me. "I saw you in my dream."  
"I remember, you saved my life."  
"And you saved mine.", she smiled.

Our path to the surface was blocked by an army marching for Othorond, so I suggested we would find another way.  
But life rose back in the queen mother Mara and she began to glow, lighting the darkness before us. Her feet were no longer on the ground.  
Winds rose up and the earth started moving, the fortress began to fall apart.  
I ran as quickly as I could to keep up with the elven maiden who destroyed everything in their path, burning the city into dust and flames.

Deep in the caves, we reached the battle of Othorond. My eyes couldn't follow the slaughter before me, they were being defeated as if a dragon flew through their army.  
Their courage sunk as Mara's sword slashed their army in pieces. The orcs who survived the fire were frozen in the cold of Leliana's frost spells.  
The gates had already been breached and wraiths were flying over the city, commanding their forces, but they turned as they saw their army retreat.  
The Angmar army regrouped in the caves where they were crushed under the collapsing caves, shallowed by earth and stone.  
We saw victory as the wraiths flew away from the city, chased away from their battlefield and away from their home.

When the battle ended, the elves of Otherond rejoiced in their victory, but Mara picked us up and carried us over the water, sending us on our way up the watchtower. At the end of the day, Leliana was first to take her steps back on the surface.  
It was late in the evening, and the sun was going under.

"Mother, will you not come with us ?"  
"No, my child, you know I will always stay here. To protect you from the evil of the north and live among the spirits of our ancestors."

There we parted and hand-in-hand, teary eyed Leliana followed me on our way home.  
As we looked behind at undergoing sun, we could no longer see queen Mara.  
But the light of the sun revealed something else. In the clouds we saw a great elven army, marching and riding horses through the sky.  
In the middle stood Mara, young and beautiful, she was surrounded by six powerful elves. They held up their hand and watched us travel south.

the End


End file.
